Super
"We died for this world, once. We can do it again." :::-- Boltman, founder and leader of the 26th-century superhero team, the Solfegus Super is a general name given to any human who exhibits substantial magical power, which are called superpowers. Many supers make active use of their powers in various ways, from easing normal labor to fighting full-scale battles against a myriad of forces, including other supers. A division is commonly made between 'superheroes' who fight for values such as justice or peace, and 'supervillains' who normally utilize their powers to achieve personal and/or selfish ends. Etymology Humans have possessed enhanced magical capabilities since their creation. However, the first recorded usage of the term 'super' is said to be in an Unareossian newspaper article from Rokober 4th, 2236. The article was one of many written about Roy Noid, AKA Whitemask, commonly known as the very first 'super'. From then on, seemingly taking the article's example, repetitions of the word would appear almost simultaneously in publications throughout the world. A few years later came the first appearance of the word 'superhero', and in the symbolic true fashion of the perpetual struggle, the word 'supervillain' emerged not long after, clearly for identifying the alignment of certain costumed fighters to the public. In the late 2570's, scholars and superologists began to argue that the term 'super' could be used to refer to superpowered individuals long before Whitemask's era, and could even apply to people of ancient times such as the legendary group of the 'Legaciers'. History 'Ancient times' The record of humans with supernatural abilities dates back to the very beginning of humanity itself. With the guidance of other supernatural beings, humans quickly learned to make full usage of these abilities and crafted great civilizations. The debate raged on whether to consider superpowered beings during this time as 'supers', partly because of the more subtle, less flamboyant manifestations of magic that was normal then. Later on, greed, pride, and the inevitable misuse of these powers contributed to the outbreak of the Great War on Darcember 26th, 1001, as well as the sanctioning of the Greater Powers of a magical inhibition placed upon human magic itself by Daughter Evelyn. It would be nearly a thousand years later before beings with powers more similar to the 'supers' of near-modern times emerged. 'The turn of the 19th century' When the Everegg dropped from Chaos in the end of the 18th century, magical reverberations echoed throughout the universe, weakening the magical restriction placed upon the normal world. As a result, humans slowly began to find that they could use magic again, in ways similar to those related in tales of ancient times. Still, the usage of these powers were often little more than minor enhancements of physical or mental ability, or the ambient influence of chance. Occasionally, individuals would stumble upon more efficient and potent uses of magic, likening them to the 'supers' more common in near-modern times. Over the next four centuries, these powers would continue to develop alongside the repopulization of the planet and rapid advances in technology. 'The beginning of supers' Superologists mark the birth of the age of supers with the arrival of the superhero known as "Whitemask", who exhibited various powers including (but not limited to) superhuman strength, superhuman speed, and limited capabilities for unaided flight. Alongside longtime public opinion, it was decided that Whitemask possessed enough of these powers to qualify as the first known 'super'. Curiously, the first supervillain, "Blackhat", emerged not long after as well. These two considerably powerful warriors, the likes of which were unheard of, waged a discreet urban war over the city of Unareoss, thus forming the first of a long series of super rivalries mimicked by others for the next several centuries. Centuries later, their legacy would also influence the beginning of a long-lasting tradition amongst supers: the alias. '23rd century and onwards' The presence of magical ability in the human population began to ascend dramatically. The total of superpowered individuals in the entire world nearly doubled annually for the next seven years after Whitemask's debut. By the 26th century, their number had escalated into the hundreds, and a great variety of heroes and villains had developed as well. The assortment of magical abilities, however, had not progressed any further than a comparatively rudimentary control over the Elements, plus a few enhanced physical attributes thrown into the mix. 'The emergence of teamwork' The Legendaries were a three-person superhero group that were credited for the first time supers had worked together for a common goal. Before then, supers were wary and suspicious of their peers, and thus highly preferred to work alone. The Legendaries demonstrated a very basic and fundamental component of superwork; having more than just one's self to rely on meant being able to accomplish far more in a far shorter amount of time. However, owing both to the largely unpublicized and covert actions of the Legendaries as well as the intervention of certain unfavorable circumstances and parties, what small portion of their activities that leaked into the public ear were tinted with malice. It took nearly a century before their valiant exploits were shown in a more favorable light; nonetheless, by that time, other supers of both righteous and self-serving alignments had realized the importance of cooperative numbers. 'The alias' As Whitemask had demonstrated, another important aspect of a superpowered being's life was privacy and secrecy. Quite simply, if one had potential enemies, by masking one's own identity, then fear of retaliation would be greatly diminished. Not only would the super's personal life be shielded from scrutiny from afar, but one's loved ones would also be protected, so long as a foe remained unaware of who they were truly fighting. Aside from this, aliases could also be constructed purely on the basis of preference. Still, others completely eschewed the need for secret identities, sometimes owing to the fact that they had nothing to lose anyway. A particularly notable example was the distinguished superhero team Solfegus, which consisted entirely of supers with civilian and super-identities equally well-known to the public. The reason for their decision to forego the use of aliases was based primarily on the fact that most of their loved ones were already in the team itself, or else very well protected. 'Controversy' As it is with nearly every endeavor in human history, supers encountered their own share of criticism and controversy. Frequently, even good-willed and well-intentional supers would be met with skepticism if not outright hatred, prejudice, and suspicion. The Legendaries had began their crusade with a great deal of avoiding the public eye, owing to the fact that secrecy was largely essential to their plans. However, later, they would adopt another reason for their stealth - because of manipulation of the press and other factors, they became grouped into the same lot as ruffians and outlaws by the hive population mind, and thus were forced to maintain their anonymity for fear of public repercussions. In much the same vein, later superheroes and superhero teams alike would be subjected to the same amount of criticism, even after the true nature of the Legendaries was revealed. From the late years of the 2nd millenium to the early years of the 3rd millennium, super activity regardless of alignment would be banned in several areas across the world, and heavily regulated in even more places elsewhere. Activists would largely protest the often extremely high amounts of damage caused to surroundings by well-meaning superheroes engaged in fierce battles against their opponents. As a result of this and several other factors, including the ratio of superheroes versus supervillains, public paranoia began to grow. 'The 1st World War' :Main article: The 1st World War Political tensions rose to a head in the beginning of the 26th century, marking the end of a tumultously delicate era of national competition between the major powers of the world. Every leader immediately saw the immense physical and strategic potential that could be harnessed from the native supers of any given country. The majority of the democratic nations, such as Ectagha, Surtarae, and Loncaia, sent numerous envoys to their supers inviting them to help bolster the forces of the military. Other countries, such as Tarates, were more infamously known for their 'forced inscriptions', or methods of coercing supers to joining. Superologists call this the 'Super-Escalation Period' - the early years of the 2500's, where it was nation against nation, each forming alliances and rushing to build up the greatest military force with as many supers as possible. The planet became a global political powder-keg until the year 2534, when the world erupted into the 1st World War. Supers were generally treated as normal soldiers with higher ranks than private. It was hardly the first time that the army made use of superpowered individuals. However, never before had the nation's military power been swelled by so many supers of so many varying abilities. Ectagha became known as the 'country of supers', for it had the greatest number of supers willing and able to serve their country in a courageous, efficient manner. The superhero team Solfegus became the spearhead and national mascot of Ectagha itself. Amidst the frenzy of battle and countless skirmishes across the globe, even condemned and imprisoned supervillains were granted amnesty in return for services to their country. Several took this as an opportunity to either escape, or even defect to a rival nation offering better pay; however, most redeemed themselves by fighting valiantly beside their former opponents. Battles raged anywhere and everywhere. It was strategically viable to send one's best fighters to the front of the line, and any single, given super could potentially and easily be stronger than the most powerful squadron of non-powered soldiers. Normal means of attacking and defending quickly became obsolete, and little more than halfway through the first year of war, generals began deploying teams consisting only of supers and the occasional field tactician. The incredible versatility of superhumans was exploited to its greatest extent. Battles could either be dogfights lasting less than half an hour, or full-scale and spanning several days of non-stop, bloodthirsty combat. It became known that certain countries, who had always harbored a racial bias against individuals with superpowers, now regarded their heroically fighting - and dying - supers as little more than expendable fighters. 'Post-war era and the Age of Supers''' After the end of the 1st World War, supers were no longer just the mysterious fighters for freedom and justice, but heroic martyrs who selflessly sacrificed themselves for king and country. Apart from the massive cemeteries erected to commemorate the casualties of war, several nations elected to build separate, more (or in some cases, less) furnished and honored graveyards for supers alone. Many of these were rejected by the superpowered community, as they opted for their fallen to be entombed alongside the non-powered individuals they had died protecting. Over the last hundred years, the variety of powers available had continued to develop. Total dominance over any or a combination of the Elements seemed so much easier to attain. Powers (and subsequently, costumery and aliases) became more and more colorful. The tradition of superhero work also encountered a great deal of change. As what became known as the Age of Supers began, sometime during the mid-to-late 2500's, it was not uncommon for the government of cities - and occasionally whole countries - to employ supers with the charge of defending citizens and apprehending super and 'normal' criminals. The allegiance of supers also began to waver; superheroes could join a team, leave, join another, and continue on in this fashion as much as it suited him/her. In between switching, supers could also deviate from the side of 'good' to 'evil', and vice-versa. Superpowers and abilities :''Main article: Superpowers Supers are humans with substantial access to magic. As magic functions as an extension of the will and soul, powers derived from magic vary from person to person. From a technical perspective, any superpower is attainable. However, the accessibility, range, and potential strength depend entirely on the person. It is not unheard of for many supers to share similar or even identical powers, but as most superhumans possess at least two or more distinct and separate magical powers, it is unusual for all of them to be shared. Many humans live and die without realizing the full scope or even mere existence of their powers; others undergo lifelong training without manifesting any supernatural abilities whatsoever. Category:Supers Category:Superology